All the Little Truths (English Prep 3)

Eric appeared completely unfazed and relaxed as he sat back on the couch with his one hand wrapped around the bottle and the other laying on his thigh.

“I’ve been ready. Go on.”

“Okay.” I took a big breath. “Truth or dare?”

He answered quickly. “Truth.”

The choices were limited here. I didn’t want to cross over that line I had drawn, making this sexual from the very beginning, because that wouldn’t help me in any way whatsoever. I also didn’t want to bring up anything dealing with our parents or the situation we had found ourselves in, so I asked the first safe thing I could think of.

“Is it true that you’ve never told a girl you loved her before?”

Eric pulled back, glancing down at me with furrowed brows. “What?”

I shrugged, bringing my beer to my lips. “I’m curious if the rumors are true. You’re the talk of the girls’ locker room.” Especially now that the Powell brothers were taken.

“Explain.”

I shrugged. “It’s just…every girl that’s ever been with you has compared notes. Kind of like a compare and contrast thing.”

“They compare and contrast what exactly?”

I could already feel the shift in the conversation. “You know…” I beat around the bush. “Just stuff.”

Eric’s face was still confused, and I rolled my eyes.

“What do you expect when you've been with almost every single girl in the senior class, Eric? They’re bound to talk.”

He licked his lips, appearing curious. “Well, what do they say?”

I thought back to a few months ago when Sara, Cassie, and Missy, whom I used to be friends with, all cheerleaders of course, talked about how Eric had always been very accommodating in the bedroom but completely unattached otherwise. No matter the number of dates or hookups they’d had with him, he’d never once told a girl he loved her. In fact, Missy’s exact words were, “I’m not even sure he liked me.”

“They said that you aren’t very...vocal.”

“Vocal?” he questioned, grabbing a new beer.

I rolled my eyes, suddenly becoming very annoyed with the conversation. “They said you fuck so good that it feels like love-making, but you’ve never actually said it.”

Eric threw his head back and laughed so hard the couch shook. My mouth opened as I watched him slap his knee hard.

“Why is that so funny?” I asked.

“They think I love them?” His eyes were wide, his cheeks flushed with laughter. “Are they serious?”

“No!” I half-laughed, attempting to remedy the conversation. “Not really. Well, I don’t know. I think it was more that they were fishing to see if you loved anyone else.”

His laughs were beginning to fade. “And did anyone fess up?”

My lips fell at the same time my hope did. “So you have told a girl you loved them?”

I only asked the question because I assumed it was true—that he hadn’t told a girl he loved them.

“Yes.”

Stake to the heart.

“Okay.” I was quickly moving away from this topic before he saw how much that bothered me. “Well. It’s your turn now.”

His laugh was low, like he was trying to hold it in. I wouldn’t dare look at him, though, in fear that he’d see how angry I was. I had no right to be angry, but I was. I was angry and jealous, and suddenly, I needed another beer. Was this how he felt when I was with Christian? Oh my God. I was a terrible fucking person. All the more reason he needed to stay away from me.